Local brands the focus for Food Folks at Lau Pa Sat

Food Folks, Singapore's first local food retail and F&B blended space, officially opened at Lau Pa Sat yesterday.

Launched by FairPrice Group, it sits in the heart of the Central Business District and serves mostly office-goers.

At 7,000 sq ft, Food Folks houses 10 F&B brands, as well as a retail area with more than 800 food-related items from over 120 brands.

Of these retail brands, 70 per cent are local products, and 5 per cent of them are venturing from an online platform to a physical store for the first time.

Speaking at the opening yesterday, Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO of NTUC Enterprise and FairPrice Group, said: "To support our local food brands during this time as well as help them plan for their future business developments, FairPrice Group will avail our various support initiatives and network for them to leverage. This aims to help our partners deliver greater value and convenience to consumers."

Ms Crystal Cheng, 26, co-founder of Edens, a retail brand known for their Shiitake Chips, told The New Paper: "Being at Food Folks will allow us to grow our supply capacity and gain experience in working with distribution if we ever enter other retail outlets in Singapore."

Edens will offer their newly launched Mala Shiitake Chips exclusively at Food Folks.

Other brands with their first brick-and-mortar retail stores are A Tea Novel, GudSht, The Edible Co., and WhatIF Foods.

There are five retail zones - Grab & Go, Love Healthy, Love Singapore, Local Delights and World Favourites - and the general price range of products is from $2 to $15.

The 10 F&B brands available at Food Folks are Cream and Cone, Chef Kang's Prawn Noodle House, GOPIZZA, Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles, QQ Rice, Runes, Shi Hui Yuan, SMOL, The Grill Knife Smoke House and The Soup Spoon.The general price range at the F&B stalls is from $5 to $15.

Food Folks has a seating capacity of 150 and features an instagrammable spot where visitors can gather with friends. It is open from 10am to 10pm daily.

Cash and cashless payments via Visa, Mastercard and NETS are accepted. Kopitiam cards are accepted only at the F&B section, where users can enjoy a 10 per cent discount. - CLARISS CHIA